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This page contains information about general system requirements, supported platforms, and instructions on how to install Docker Desktop for Linux.
System requirements
To install Docker Desktop successfully, your Linux host must meet the following general requirements:
- 64-bit kernel and CPU support for virtualization.
- KVM virtualization support. Follow the KVM virtualization support instructions to check if the KVM kernel modules are enabled and how to provide access to the kvm device.
- QEMU must be version 5.2 or newer. We recommend upgrading to the latest version.
- systemd init system.
- Gnome or KDE Desktop environment.
- For many Linux distros, the Gnome environment does not support tray icons. To add support for tray icons, you need to install a Gnome extension. For example, AppIndicator.
- At least 4 GB of RAM.
- Enable configuring ID mapping in user namespaces, see File sharing.
Docker Desktop for Linux runs a Virtual Machine (VM). For more information on why, see Why Docker Desktop for Linux runs a VM.
Supported platforms
Docker provides
.deb and .rpm packages from the following Linux distributions and architectures:Docker supports Docker Desktop on the current LTS release of the aforementioned distributions and the most recent version. As new versions are made available, Docker stops supporting the oldest version and supports the newest version.
KVM virtualization support
Docker Desktop runs a VM that requires KVM support.
The
kvm module should load automatically if the host has virtualization support. To load the module manually, run:$ modprobe kvm
Depending on the processor of the host machine, the corresponding module must be loaded:
$ modprobe kvm_intel # Intel processors $ modprobe kvm_amd # AMD processors
If the above commands fail, you can view the diagnostics by running:
$ kvm-ok
To check if the KVM modules are enabled, run:
$ lsmod | grep kvm kvm_amd 167936 0 ccp 126976 1 kvm_amd kvm 1089536 1 kvm_amd irqbypass 16384 1 kvm
Set up KVM device user permissions
To check ownership of
/dev/kvm, run :Add your user to the kvm group in order to access the kvm device:
Log out and log back in so that your group membership is re-evaluated.
Generic installation steps
- Download the correct package for your Linux distribution and install it with the corresponding package manager.
Open your Applications menu in Gnome/KDE Desktop and search for Docker Desktop.
Select Docker Desktop to start Docker. The Docker menu () displays the Docker Subscription Service Agreement window.
Select Accept to continue. Docker Desktop starts after you accept the terms.
For more information, see Docker Desktop Subscription Service Agreement. We recommend that you also read the FAQs.
Where to go next
- Troubleshooting describes common problems, workarounds, how to run and submit diagnostics, and submit issues.
- FAQs provide answers to frequently asked questions.
- Release notes lists component updates, new features, and improvements associated with Docker Desktop releases.
- Get started with Docker provides a general Docker tutorial.
- Back up and restore data provides instructions on backing up and restoring data related to Docker.